The present invention is in the area of supplemental storage and securing systems for items in a vehicle, and has particular use in off-road applications where quick and easy access to gear and equipment is required.
Outdoor activities such as bird-watching, fishing, hunting, and the like often require many supplies, equipment and accessories in order for the enthusiast to be adequately supplied and prepared for the activity, particularly true for those activities requiring extended time and travel. Many different pairs of binoculars, cameras and guidebooks and other supplies, for example, are typically required for several people traveling to a remote bird-watching area, or a group of hunters and fishermen may often need to carry several different firearms and sets of fishing equipment in the vehicle in which their traveling. When carrying firearms in the vehicle it is desirable to be able to safely store and secure the firearms and supplies in such a way that the contents of the storage system are protected from severe impact, shock, vibration, and jarring often encountered when driving off-road, especially in undeveloped terrain. The ability to safely secure and store firearms and ammunition and protect the contents from such effects is particularly important for the obvious safety reasons, and is also necessary for avoiding the occurrence of movement and bumping of the firearm within the storage compartment, possibly causing sighting adjustments to the firearm or a mounted scope, or other settings to go out of adjustment.
It is also desirable in utility storage systems such as described to have an ability to quickly and easily access the contents or features of the system. For example, if a situation warrants it, hunters may wish to quickly retrieve a firearm, ammunition or other related gear or switch from one firearm to another, even while the vehicle in which they are traveling is in motion. Other users, such as wildlife photographers and bird watchers may need to quickly switch from one camera or one pair of binoculars to another, or have access to guide materials and such while the vehicle is following moving subjects.
A variety of vehicle item storage systems have been developed for providing secure, efficient storage of firearms and valuable equipment. A system well-known in industry comprises sliding drawer units adapted to fit and attach to the bed of a pickup truck, or in the area of the rear storage compartment of a sport utility vehicle, for example. In such a system some of the drawers may be designed for storage of firearms, having separate compartments within a modular drawer unit, each compartment having a shape and size that accommodates the storage of one or more firearms which may or may not have a scope mounted, and may or may not be contained in a protective firearm carrier or sheath. Various other shapes and sizes of compartments are contained within each drawer of such a system for storing or securing a variety of odd-shaped articles, gear, supplies and other equipment.
Conventional utility storage systems such as the sliding drawer system of current art described above are typically designed and marketed for installation and use in a specific type of vehicle, one type for a sport utility vehicle and another for a pickup truck for example. In many of these cases the systems are designed to be for use only with a particular model of vehicle, having dimensions enabling it to securely fit into the area in which it is being installed in a vehicle, leaving little tolerance in dimensions. A problem presented in such a conventional storage system, however, is that a user is prevented from transferring the storage system from one model of vehicle to another, such as when the use of another vehicle is required to reach the destination and the replacement vehicle is not properly equipped with adequate protective and secure storage for the firearms or other equipment and gear to be transported. The user will also typically be prevented from transferring the storage system from a vehicle of a particular model and year of manufacture, to a second vehicle of the same model but manufactured in a different year.
Permanent or semi-permanent installation at the rear of the vehicle, or under a seat or bench within the vehicle, is typically the method utilized for conventional storage systems of current art, presenting a further problem that limits the ability of the user to utilize the system in another vehicle, even a vehicle of the same model and year, and further limits the ability to safely secure and transport a wide variety of gear and equipment used specifically for a given activity. For example, firearms, ammunition and other related gear and equipment require a storage system with features, storage compartment shapes and dimensions and other specific capabilities for safely securing, storing or utilizing such items. Conversely, bird-watching or wildlife photography requiring other specific equipment such as binoculars and cameras and related gear and supplies, require a completely different storage compartment configuration and level of lockable security, for example, while at the same time providing sensitive equipment with protection from jarring impacts, shock and vibration. An obvious storage problem is presented for a user wishing to utilize a storage system in a vehicle to properly transport specific gear and equipment related to fishing or hunting, for example, and then utilize the same vehicle and storage system for only transporting equipment related to wildlife photography or bird-watching, for example.
What is clearly needed is a vehicle utility storage system that safely, securely and efficiently stores and secures a wide variety of gear and equipment of varying shapes and sizes, while allowing a user to quickly and easily change the configuration, size, or other aspects of the storage compartments or functions of the storage system, and achieve a condition best suited for the specific gear and equipment related to the activity. Such a system should be simple, lightweight and compact, and capable of being utilized in vehicles of various models and years of manufacture by being easily transferable from one vehicle to another. Such an improved utility storage system should make the most efficient use of the storage space where it is installed, while providing the contents or apparatus within ample protection from shock, vibration, and impact to gear and equipment. An improved utility storage systems such as described is preferably low-cost and economical and easy to manufacture, and when installed in the host vehicle, should provide the driver or passengers of the vehicle with a greatly improved level of access to gear, supplies, equipment or apparatus stored or provided by the system, eliminating the need to stop and exit the vehicle, or to awkwardly reach under seats, benches or into other remote areas of the vehicle in order to gain access to the contents. Greatly improved access provided by such a system would give the user an ability to quickly and easily retrieve equipment, making quick switches possible between different cameras, firearms, or binoculars, for example, all stored and secured in the same area by the same system. Such improved access should be provided by such a system regardless of whether or not the host vehicle is in motion, or of the extent of external forces imposed upon the vehicle while it is in motion, even during travel over rough terrain.
An improved utility storage system having all of the attributes described above, and more, is provided by the inventor, and embodiments of the invention are described below in enabling detail.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a modular utility carrier to mount to a folded-down windshield assembly of a vehicle is provided, comprising a body tray having a length, width and height, the body tray formed by side walls and a bottom wall forming an upward-facing cavity, and a plurality of attachment assemblies connected to the body and having each an attachment interface to provide a releasable attachment to the folded-down windshield. In a preferred embodiment the attachment assemblies comprise clamp mechanisms to clamp to bar elements of the folded-down windshield. In some embodiments the attachment assemblies further comprise elongation mechanisms allowing the body tray to be positioned above the folded-down windshield at variable heights. In these and other embodiments the attachment assemblies further comprise resilient mounting elements to at least partially shield the body tray from forces caused by movement of the vehicle.
In some embodiments the body tray comprises a plurality of compartments shaped and equipped to carry or store one or more elements of gear related to a specific activity. In some cases the activity is hunting, and the elements comprise at least one firearm used in hunting. The carrier may further comprise one or more tip-up gun rests for steadying a firearm during shooting, and a tip-up steadying bar for a passenger in a vehicle to grasp while standing. In some cases the activity is wildlife observation, and the elements comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras. In some preferred embodiments individual ones of the compartments comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place.
In certain embodiments the carrier further comprises an insert tray shaped and sized to fit snugly within the upward-facing cavity of the body tray, such that insert trays are interchangeable in the body tray. In these embodiments there may also be vibration-dampening elements interposed between the body tray and the insert tray. Further the insert tray may comprise a plurality of compartments shaped and equipped to carry or store one or more elements of gear related to a specific activity. The specific activity may be hunting, in which case the elements comprise at least one firearm used in hunting. Also the specific activity may wildlife observation, and the elements may then comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras.
In preferred embodiments individual ones of the compartments comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place. There may further be a plurality of secondary tray modules shaped to fit into and be carried by the insert tray, individual ones of the secondary tray modules shaped and equipped to store one or more elements related to an activity.
In some of these embodiments the activity is hunting, and the elements comprise at least one firearm used in hunting. In other embodiments the activity is wildlife observation, and the elements comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras. The individual secondary tray modules may comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place.
In addition to all of the embodiment above, the carrier may also comprise a lid closure shaped and equipped to close the cavity and protect articles within the cavity from exposure to conditions outside the carrier. The lid may be secured to the tray body by latch elements and be completely removable, or it may be implemented in a number of different ways.
In another aspect of the invention a method for carrying miscellaneous articles for a user of a vehicle having a windshield assembly that may be folded down over a hood area of the vehicle is provided, comprising the steps of (a) forming a body tray having a length, width and height, the body tray formed by side walls and a bottom wall forming an upward-facing cavity; (b) affixing attachment assemblies to the body tray, each attachment assembly having an attachment interface to provide a releasable attachment to the folded-down windshield; (c) attaching the body tray to the folded-down windshield by the attachment interfaces; and (d) carrying the articles in the body tray for easy and rapid access by the user.
In some preferred embodiments, in step (c), the attachment assemblies comprise clamp mechanisms used to clamp to bar elements of the folded-down windshield. The attachment assemblies may further comprise elongation mechanisms allowing the body tray to be positioned above the folded-down windshield at variable heights, and further comprising a step for adjusting the position of the body tray over the folded-down windshield. Still further, the attachment assemblies may further comprise resilient mounting elements to at least partially shield the body tray from forces caused by movement of the vehicle.
In some embodiments the body tray comprises a plurality of compartments shaped and equipped to carry or store one or more elements of gear related to a specific activity. The activity may be hunting, and the elements comprise in that case at least one firearm used in hunting. In some embodiments the body tray may further comprise one or more tip-up gun rests for steadying a firearm during shooting, and the method further comprises a step for setting up and using an individual one of the gun rests.
In some embodiments the body tray further comprises a tip-up steadying bar for a passenger in a vehicle to grasp while standing, and the method further comprises a step for deploying and using the steadying bar. The activity may be wildlife observation, and the elements in that case comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras.
In preferred embodiments individual ones of the compartments comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place. There may further be an insert tray shaped and sized to fit snugly within the upward-facing cavity of the body tray, such that insert trays are interchangeable in the body tray. In these embodiments there may vibration-dampening elements interposed between the body tray and the insert tray.
In some cases of the method the insert tray comprises a plurality of compartments shaped and equipped to carry or store one or more elements of gear related to a specific activity. Where the activity is hunting the elements comprise at least one firearm used in hunting. Where the activity is wildlife observation, the elements comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras. In many cases individual ones of the compartments comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place.
In some preferred embodiments of the invention there may be a plurality of secondary tray modules shaped to fit into and be carried by the insert tray, individual ones of the secondary tray modules shaped and equipped to store one or more elements related to an activity. In many of these cases the activity is hunting, and the elements comprise at least one firearm used in hunting. In other cases the activity is wildlife observation, and the elements comprise one or more of binoculars and cameras.
In preferred embodiments individual ones of the secondary tray modules comprise one or more of protective linings, vibration damping elements, and fastening components for holding the elements in place. There may also be a lid closure shaped and equipped to close the cavity and protect articles within the cavity from exposure to conditions outside the carrier, and the lid may be secured to the tray body by latch elements and be therefore completely removable.
In embodiments of the present invention taught in enabling detail below, for the first time an ability is provided to especially outdoor-oriented people to very conveniently carry and have immediate access to many articles related to any activity. Carriers are organized into systems that allow maximum flexibility.